Death of the Butterfly
by Sarcastic Chipmunk
Summary: A happy ending for Anakin, Padme, Leia, Luke, Han, Obi-Wan and even the Wookiee? Maybe...:) An AU, at times sweet enough to cause cavities. Guess you'll just have to see why... (Han/Leia; Luke/Mara; Ani/Ami; Obi/?)
1. Loyalty

Death of the Butterfly

*** 

Obi-Wan Kenobi felt the Force-ripple as Darth Vader stepped towards him, pulled out his lightsaber. He felt the handle of his own, feeling the weight of it in his hand.   
Once, during the days when Anakin was still his young, handsome Padawan, and he was the reluctant Master, he had seen a vision. A man, dressed in shining black. A sith, obviously, moving quickly, then, with a flash from his lightsaber, Obi-Wan was sliced through...   
And now he knew the truth. It was his own Padawan, turned to the Dark Side.   
"Anakin, you don't have to do this..."   
"I'm not Anakin anymore. Anakin is dead. My name is Darth Vader."   
"Fine, Vader. Come with me - you can turn back. The Council is forgiving."   
That's garbage, Obi-Wan, and you know it. The Jedi order is all but dead. Besides, I know you, you've been waiting for this chance for years."   
He was right about that, no matter how guilty that made Obi-Wan Kenobi feel. He had taken on the Padawan with far too much resentment, as a last show of respect to his Master. The child had already been scarred by his precarious youth. Obi-Wan had to admit, he hadn't been the best mentor. He hadn't been ready to mold the mind of such a youngling. It should have been Master Yoda, in the temple. Force, the boy had only been nine years old...   
To think that only a few months ago, he had thought the boy was nearly ready to face the Trials. True, he had been arrogant, often emotional, but that was true of Qui-Gon Jinn as well. He'd also adopted Qui-Gon's idealism, love and independence. Anywhere but the Order, these would be virtues.   
Now, Anakin Skywalker was going to kill him. He would die at the hands of his Padawan learner.   
It was worth it. Worth it for the future of Padme Amidala Skywalker, for little Luke and Leia. Right now, she was at the edge of the crater, wrapping the babies up, taking off. Obi-Wan had told her of the vision, told her to take the only ship and leave him. If it meant the death of Obi-Wan to destroy Darth Vader, then that would be the sacrifice he would make. Padme had not been content in that, however, and had taken to wailing. It was understandable, considering their friendship as of late, but he had no time to coddle her, instead ordering her to leave...   
Then there was no time to think, because Darth Vader had activated his lightsaber, and they were fighting, the dance of the Jedi. Obi-Wan never remembered him being this strong, this capable. The Sith Master had trained him well. However, he was still not as skilled as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Before he realized what he was doing, he used his Force powers to push Anakin back, his golden hair blowing madly in the wind Obi-Wan created, his black cloak slamming against the edge of the guard rail. His thin, lean body fell backwards, toppling over, towards the lava... 

It was then Obi-Wan saw the flicker of movement, the flash of white.   
Padme.   
She ran towards her husband, grabbed him, hauled him back over, her face tear-stained.   
It was a reflex action on Anakin's part. His blue blade flew forward, slicing through her white jumpsuit, turning it black as it went through her flesh.   
"No, Anakin," Obi-Wan exclaimed, "No!"   
"Padme," Anakin replied, removing his cloak, wrapping it around Padme tenderly, "Oh, Sith, Padme, how did this happen?"   
"I love you, Anakin," she replied softly, her face growing ashen.   
Her face was still smiling. Anakin knew there was nothing he could do, even though the would was not terribly severe. Lightsaber wounds were caused by the Force, and could only be healed through the Force. For Jedi warriors, this was a simple task, but on individuals who were not Force sensitive, even the smallest Lightsaber wound could prove fatal.   
Anakin had killed all of the healers in the Jedi order. There were only a handful of Knights left.   
"Padme, please, angel," Anakin plead, stroking her rapidly tiring face.   
"Annie, I'm cold..."   
"Don't worry, Padme, I'll make everything all right."   
He dropped his lightsaber, and with a clinking noise, it rolled away into the lava pit. Obi-Wan knew in that moment that he should have killed Anakin, but could not. The boy's blue eyes were so pained as he lifted his wife into his arms and carefully wrapped her up.   
With that, he turned, and walked away from the lightsaber battle. 

*** All righty yet another started story by the Sarcastic Chipmunk. Remember, I like reviews. I like suggestions. I don't like mean flaming people. Just click on the little button at the bottom...it's not hard! I like to review the work of people who review me!   



	2. Selling His Soul

Hello all! I'm back with Chapter two! Thank you to all that reviewed - I love you all!!! 

*** 

Anakin moved across the barren terrain of Tatooine. This was the deathland, an all but abandoned region of the planet, pockmarked with lava pits and sandpits. It was beautiful, the same geography that had once covered all of Tatooine, forming the mesas and chasms so familiar from the Boonta Eve Classic he had raced so long ago.   
He shifted his wife in his arms, his face for once emotional, letting down the guard that Darth Sidious had built up in him.   
"Annie, you're crying," Padme muttered, "Don't cry, Annie."   
She wanted to put her arms around him, he could sense that, but could not.   
"Don't worry about it, love," he whispered, "Save your strength."   
He shifted her, so she wouldn't see Darth Sidious' great ship sitting on the golden sand. It looked like a cobra, black against the setting Tatooine sun. If anyone could save Padme, it was Sidious. An ironic smile crept onto Anakin's face. All the rage he had pent up, the blame; he had taken it out on the Jedi Knights, and now, they were the only ones who could possibly save Padme. Sidious was the only one who would be willing to help him. Sith, Sidious was the only one who wouldn't try to kill him on sight.   
She whimpered in pain, and he quickly moved his hand over her face, using the Force to remove any traces of pain.   
"Lord Vader," the Stormtroopers saluted him as he moved up the ramp.   
Padme's eyes bulged for a moment, then fluttered shut.   
"Padme? Padme?" Anakin asked, his eyes darting with panic, "Padme, no, wake up, Padme..."   
Her heartbeat was fluttering now, her body growing heavy.   
"Darth Sidious! Master, please, save her..."   
"I cannot, Vader," he replied coldly.   
"Don't let her die, Master," Anakin plead, "If she dies, I do as well."   
Sidious sighed, his face frighteningly like cynical Obi-Wan Kenobi's for a moment. Anakin felt ill, already beginning to suspect that Sidious was using him. It was too late for second chances, however. "Melodrama will get you nowhere, Vader. I will keep her from dying, but that is all I can do. In return, all I ask is your loyalty."   
"Of course, Master," Anakin replied.   
As long as it saved Padme.   
The Sith picked up her tiny, limp frame, her elaborate hairstyle falling apart into Medusan curls, and both Master and Apprentice felt the wave of intense revulsion convulse through her body, even though now she could see nothing, her eyes closed.   
It was only then Anakin realized what Darth Sidious meant. Padme's brown hair spilled over her head, her body still perfect after the pregnancy, dressed in a simple white gown.   
"My little baby..." she muttered incoherently.   
"Good-night, Senator Amidala," Sidious smiled.   
In only moments, she was carbon-frozen, a dark statue of her body, encased in a stony prison. Anakin let out a howl, realizing what this meant. His wife would be there for months, years, until someone with enough healing power in the Force could save her. When she left this trap, she would be young, and he might be an old man.   
"It doesn't have to be that way," Sidious murmured, patting his Apprentice on the back in a way that Obi-Wan never did, "You said you would be able to control life and death, and you can, my young Apprentice. You are the most gifted of the Sith."   
The Sith. The word still shocked him, the idea that he was not of the Jedi anymore. He was on the side of Darkness. _What would Qui-Gon have thought?_ Trying to forget about Master Jinn, he nodded to his new master, and retrieved the parcel.   
It was a helmet, shining black, unlike anything a Sith had ever worn. It would stop aging. It would stop death. He slid it onto his head, concealing the last of what anyone might recognize as Anakin Skywalker. He was now Darth Vader, powerful apprentice of the Sith. He felt a surge of power as his master nodded, and left the room.   
Padme.   
"I promise, my love, that I'll save you somehow," he murmured tenderly to the cold, unfeeling lips, the fringe of unblinking eyelashes.   
My little baby? In a moment of incoherence, she had muttered it, and Sidious had overlooked the comment as a wayward call to her husband. Anakin had never been her little baby. It could only mean that she had delivered the child, that when he was interrogating Dorme, she had been lying. Sidious had called him a coward. After killing two thousand sleeping Jedi with the push of a button, he could not bring himself to kill one of Padme's handmaidens. She sat in front of him, looking exactly as she had back on Coruscant, when he and Padme had first fallen in love, and he let her go. Undoubtedly she had run back to her mistress, full of tales of the cruelty going on at the hands of Anakin and Palpatine, and Padme had been frightened off. Obi-Wan would only have fostered that fear.   
"I could never hurt you, love," he whispered, "Forgive me, Padme."   
Rage, unseen through the dark helmet, coursed through his body like liquid fire. He had a son or daughter out there somewhere, without a father, without a mother, as he himself had once been.   
His child was not going to live the same life he had.   
He would make sure of it. 

*** 

Well, well, well...what do you think is going to happen to baby Luke and Leia? Ideas people ideas! ;) 


	3. Conflict

Hey all. Hope you R&R because I ain't updating till the reviews hit 20. That way I can make sure people ARE actually reading it, LOL...enjoy the next installment and feel free to give suggestions for the next chapter(s). 

*** 

Obi-Wan Kenobi kept one hand gripped tightly on his lightsaber, half expecting a crazed Anakin Skywalker to appear from behind a boulder. Padme had told him what had happened after the death of his mother. If the council had discovered that he had murdered dozens of Tusken Raiders in a fit of rage, he would have been thrown out of the Order, possibly jailed.   
Padme was undoubtedly dead. He felt a flash of un-Jedi-like pain at that realization, then guilt. In the past few months, moving place to place to protect her and the children, he had spent many hours at her side. He couldn't say he hadn't enjoyed it. She was beautiful, obviously, courageous, intelligent, witty.   
Jedi do not love. But he had begun to love Padme Amidala, even if those feelings could never be shown. She would always love Anakin, no matter what he did. The only thing he could now do was to honour her memory by protecting her children. As long as he was near to Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia were in danger. Who knew how far he had progressed. Who knew the bond between child and parent? There had been no children born to a Knight since the early days, even before the Republic.   
He reached out a tendril with his mind, and felt it, two safe, but unhappy, children. Luke was crying again, Leia was not. She was her mother's child, placid in all things. Someday she would have made an excellent knight. An excellent padawan. Pity there wasn't an Order anymore to train her.   
As he approached the slick silver craft, the ground began to vibrate. In the distance, a black silhouette against the Tatooine sun, the Sith ship skimmed away. Obi-Wan didn't relax, thinking they might use the opportunity to fire from space on the vulnerable shuttle.   
Dorme stood in the hatchway, her thin frame supporting one child in each arm. They were still tiny, born premature by three full weeks, as if the tempestuous times had rubbed off on the children. More likely the stress of her husband's actions, plus all the moving from world to world as refugees, had taken their toll on Padme's body. From Coruscant to Alderaan to Nal Hutta they had traveled, in each place playing at what they were not. Usually Padme played the wife to Obi-Wan's uncomfortable husband, Dorme acting the part of the sister-in-law. It had deflected questions. He hadn't realized he would become so emotionally attached to the four of them, Luke, Leia, Dorme, and Padme.   
"My lady?" Dorme's voice was a thread.   
He looked up, thinking his face was unemotional, but it had not been. Dorme's let out a soft cry, tears springing to her eyes.   
"She should have followed my orders."   
"And lose her husband and one of her dearest friends?" Dorme snapped back at him, "You were going to kill him."   
He was surprised at her outburst, and angered as well. Normally he was used to Dorme acting as the subservient handmaiden, but then, she at times played the role of Senator Amidala. Both stared each other down with equal furore, waiting to see who would make the next move.   
But neither had the chance, since Luke began to wail again.   
"He'll have to learn to control his emotions," Obi-Wan said coldly, lifting up his sister, in actuality older by 14 minutes, but in soul, years longer.   
Dorme glared at Obi-Wan, and lovingly rubbed the new-soft hair just beginning to sprout from Luke's crown. He calmed himself, and began to drift to sleep. Turning on her heel, Dorme headed for her quarters. Obi-Wan shook his head, trying to ignore Leia's familiar brown eyes locked on him. At times like this, he would have asked for guidance from the Council. But what Council? It was said that Master Yoda had escaped, but to where it wasn't known; Master Windu had escaped to Naboo, but was even now being tracked by Imperial Stormtroopers. No, he was alone.   
Leia burbled softly, and Obi-Wan realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. A tiny copy of Padme. Without realizing what he was doing, his hand moved to her tiny back and cradled it protectively.   
"Master Kenobi, our ship is preparing for takeoff," one of the servants said.   
Absently, he looked up from the mesmerizing eyes of the baby. "Here, can you please bring her to Dorme?"   
The girl tried to prise Leia's fingers from Obi-Wan's cape, only to be rewarded with devilish, ear-piercing howls.   
"I cannot, Master..."   
Strangely pleased by this show of affection, he waved the girl away, "But, be sure, Leia Skywalker, you can't stay with me forever. In a week's time, you will be the daughter of Bail Organa."   
She hiccupped, and stared up quizzically.   
"You see, Leia, it's you that I don't have to worry about," he murmured softly, "It's your emotional brother that I do...what am I doing? You can't understand me..."   
Still, he let the child fall asleep in his arms before he lay her down to sleep next to her brother. He turned, only to find Dorme watching him with curiosity. Averting his eyes from her gaze, he stalked out. 

*** 

Well well well, it's short, but it needed to be said! Hope you all enjoy and review, and thanks a million! 


	4. Good-bye

We're back with a new chapter! LOVELY stuff... ;-) Anyhow, if you noticed two rather corny, excessively nice reviewers on my page - forgive them, they're my friends and don't know when to shut up. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU again for reviewing! Please, ideas, ideas! I love 'em! 

*** 

Dorme's tiny hands clung to Obi-Wan Kenobi's waist uncomfortably, and he was well aware of the intense anger she was bottling inside herself. Luke was in a baby-sack attached to her waist, wailing, while Leia slept peacefully against her twin's side. Mos Espa was quickly vanishing behind the speeder as they headed towards the Lars homestead, the salt-of-the-earth moisture farmers Cliegg had selected as little Luke's foster parents. With the daily grind of moisture farming, the never-ending hard work, Luke's more wayward side would vanish. He was like his father, and would live the life his father should have - grow up on Tatooine, with a family that loved him, maybe marry a local girl and take over the Lars farm.   
"Try not to focus on the negative," Dorme murmured, "Is that not what you said yourself."   
He slowed the speeder in front of the white bubble entrance, and stared down the tiny handmaiden. Though he wanted to say a thousand sarcastic remarks to the girl, he found it impossible, and simply turned silently towards the door.   
"Don't move, Jedi scum," he heard a growl from behind him. "Or I'll shoot ya like a half-dead Bantha!"   
He raised one eyebrow, sensing exaggeration.   
"At least shooting me will keep me from hearing more of your shudder-inducing cliches," Obi-Wan snapped, feeling exceptionally witty, until he heard the recharge lock being snapped off. He swallowed, preparing to grab for his lightsaber.   
"Please, sir, wait!" Dorme plead, "We have been sent on an errand of great urgency by Padme Amidala herself."   
"Used to be a Senator? Anakin's girlfriend?"   
"Anakin's wife," Obi-Wan replied sourly, feeling sweat trickling down his neck, "May we come in?"   
"You are most welcome, fair lady, but you, Jedi - keep your lightsaber sheathed, and no mind tricks."   
With one last sigh at the wheelchair-bound farmer, he slipped down the stairs. It was cooler, but not by much. Anakin had told him about the Lars just after he was tried by the Jedi Council for disobeying orders, but it hadn't sounded like this hellish, sunbaked purgatory. In fact, Anakin had seemed almost attracted to this place, as if he somehow sensed his lost future here. As often as he professed his hatred of sand and the desert, Naboo's lake-spotted land could never have held his interest for long. Tatooine was ingrained in Anakin's soul, like a magnet, which was why Obi-Wan Kenobi could not leave it. Someday Darth Vader might discover his child and return for it.   
"Do you distrust the Jedi, sir?" he heard Dorme ask politely.   
"Not all of them," Owen responded, appearing in a nearby doorway, "Only the ones that work for the Emperor."   
Beru, Cliegg, Owen and Dorme stared at Obi-Wan. How he regretted fighting for the Republic in the clone wars! If only they had known it was a plot to destroy democracy, and at the same time, to cull the Order.   
"How is Anakin?" Beru asked, "We haven't seen him since..."   
"He's dead," Obi-Wan replied coldly, "It was not unexpected, given his tempestuous nature."   
Beru gasped, and Owen glared.   
"Obi-Wan!" Dorme exclaimed.   
"That's my brother. My mother said..."   
"Anakin Skywalker was my Padawan learner for ten years," Obi-Wan shot back, "Oddly enough I have the impression that I knew him better than you, good sir."   
Owen opened his mouth to say something more, but Cliegg held up a hand to keep him quiet. Beru pulled him away, whispering for him to calm himself. Dorme sighed, knowing from experience that Obi-Wan's temper, manifested in tart sarcasm, got them in trouble far too often. Like Master, like Padawan, perhaps. He turned to Dorme, and she withered, remembering too late that he could read thoughts.   
"Sit," Cliegg ordered, and poured each of them a glass of blue milk.   
Dorme thanked him and nodded, took one sip, and smiled. Obi-Wan could hardly keep himself from laughing out loud, sensing the revulsion emanating from her like heat from a candle. Then again, she had played polite, diplomatic Senator Amidala for years.   
"So, General Kenobi," Cliegg began with a snicker, "Don't look so surprised. Your reputation precedes you. I have no love of the Jedi after the Clone Wars, but I pity you, boy, for I know you didn't mean to bring on the destruction of your kind. Now, you'll tell me what happened to Anakin, because I know nothing could kill him."   
Obi-Wan remembered Anakin once thinking that Jedi couldn't be killed. A story Qui-Gon Jinn had told Obi-Wan before his death...   
"The only one who could destroy Anakin was himself," Obi-Wan responded carefully. "Mr. Lars, have you ever heard of - Darth Vader?"   
The old man turned gray, and nodded, "You're saying Vader - is Anakin?"   
Dorme nodded, and ran a hand over Leia's dark hair. Luke began to whimper.   
"Anakin's son, you want us to take him," Cliegg stated, "And we'd be more than happy. Owen and Beru are young, newly married. I know they would welcome a child. We'd be more than happy to take the little girl, too. What do you call them?"   
"This one is Luke Skywalker," Dorme murmured, lifting the child into the air, "And the one with the dark hair is Leia."   
"We cannot leave the two children together. Separating them is safer. Besides, my old friend Bail Organa on Alderaan agreed to adopt Leia already. Dorme will stay with her on Alderaan, and I will go into hiding on Tatooine to defend Luke. Vader is more likely to return here than he is to visit Organa."   
Cliegg nodded, "If you're hiding, there are caves over the foothills that not even the Tusken Raiders will go near. It was used for a while for hiding Gardulla the Hutt's illegal Twi'lek slave girls, until he was killed."   
He nodded, "Thank you. Dorme, we should leave. We have to prepare you to leave..."   
The old farmer watched as the two of them left together, Obi-Wan cradling Leia in his arms. As Luke began to wail, he forgot about the pair, and moved his wheelchair to present the new arrival to his children. 

*** 

This chapter's not too interesting but it needed to be said. I PROMISE the next one will be better!   



	5. Home Sweet Cave

All righty...what now? Oh, right...Hayden Christensen would look fine in a Darth Vader suit! Argh! Must - defend - fellow - Canadian...*foams at mouth*... 

*** 

Obi-Wan surveyed the cave. It was small, cold, and damp, in actuality unfit for habitation, but for a lone Jedi, it would do. Perhaps some lights, maybe cut out some storage with his lightsaber. It would do.   
"I'll need to take some blankets from the ship, maybe something to barter with...I'll need some food, as well, just for the beginning. Dorme, I'll need you to help me bring a communicator of some sort to..."   
He turned around. She was crying, trying to avert her gaze, staring at the jagged stone of the ceiling, her hands smoothing down Leia's wayward brown hair.   
"I'm sorry, Master," she hiccuped, "Ignore me, it's simply that I am unused to being alone. Much as we have argued while we were together, I shall miss you. I have been an apprentice to the queen since I was thirteen years old, and it has made me somewhat - dependent."   
"That it most definitely has not, Dorme," he responded, "Come, let's get back to the ship and get the supplies unpacked before the suns set. I want you to be gone by sunup."   
She nodded uncertainly, and headed for the entrance to the cave. Obi-Wan sensed her fear, but had nothing to say. She had every reason to be frightened. Darth Vader would hunt her down if he ever discovered that there was a child. Like Padme, like Corde, like Eirtae, Yane, and Sache, she would die in the line of duty, or, if she was very lucky, she might survive, complete her mission, and have to disappear into the seedy Underworld of the outer rim worlds to survive, always wondering what had happened to Luke and Leia, wondering what had happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi.   
Carefully Obi-Wan placed Leia in a box on the floor of the cave.   
"Why don't you just take her into her cradle on the ship?" Dorme asked irritably as the little girl cooed affectionately at the Jedi.   
"Because I like to keep an eye on her myself," he replied tartly, "Besides, I sense something off in the Force when I think of that ship..."   
Dorme snorted in a very unladylike fashion, "The Force...hmph, you just like to show off that she behaves around you. Two hours last night it took me to feed Leia her Bantha milk..."   
"She likes it just as much as you do, apparently."   
"Was I that obvious?" she blushed, then became pensive again, "What do you think will come of Luke?"   
Obi-Wan shook his head. "His future too is clouded. Like Anakin's was years ago. But if I were to judge by my common sense? He'll become a Tatooine farmboy and won't care about space at all. Here, bring me that bedroll, will you?"   
"Yes, Master Kenobi," she replied obediently.   
"I am not Master Kenobi anymore. There is no Jedi order anymore."   
"General Kenobi?" she tried again.   
"Just Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm not a Knight anymore, I'm not in any army, I'm just a hermit hiding out in the deserts of Tatooine."   
"Well then, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're going to have to think up a new name. Everyone this side of Nal Hutta knows of the great General Obi-Wan Kenobi."   
He winced, knowing all too well how efficiently he had acted during the Clone Wars. Dorme was right, of course. Kenobi was a fairly common name, like Antilles or Secura. His brow furrowed as he tried to think up something.   
"Ummm...Bail?"   
"Hmm. Original," Dorme replied sourly, "I see creativity is not high on the Order's priorities. How about Paulo? Mistress Padme was fond of that name - it was the first boy she kissed."   
"No offense intended, Mistress," Obi-Wan responded, "But I would not like to resemble any Padme's lovers in any way."   
She shrugged, "Just a thought. You'll think of something. Here, help me with this bedroll, it's falling off my heaaa..."   
He smiled as the large roll of fabric began to slide off Dorme's shoulder, headed straight towards a puddle of water on the stone floor. Sighing at the knowledge that he'd be likely sleeping on a sopping wet bed tonight, he moved towards her to grab when it fell off. However, the bedroll suddenly righted itself on Dorme's shoulder, and she finished carrying it across the cave.   
"Thank you Mas - Obi-Wan Kenobi."   
"For what?"   
"Did you not just use the Force to right the bedroll?"   
"Are you certain you didn't just balance it yourself, Mistress?"   
"I felt a push on it, honestly!" she protested.   
Kenobi turned towards the plastic storage box. Leia was holding onto the edge of it, staring straight at Dorme, a grin plastered across her childish face. She let out a giggle, and went back to chewing on her toy Shaak. No, it couldn't be, Obi-Wan thought to himself with concern. Even the child of Anakin Skywalker couldn't be that precocious.   
Dorme bit her lip, her eyes locked on the little girl, "We better get this finished for takeoff. Get her to Bail Organa."   
Obi-Wan nodded, and together they began carrying in the last few crates of rations and water packs. Dorme looked around as they finished, and lifted up Leia, who whimpered, as if she could sense the connection being severed.   
"Good-bye, Obi-Wan Kenobi."   
"Good luck, Dorme. May the Force be with you. Good-bye, my little Leia."   
Suddenly, on an impulse, Dorme threw an arm around Obi-Wan, embracing him. His face grew pink, and the words stumbled in his mouth.   
"Thank you for everything," she gave him a peck on the cheek, "You really were our knight, you know."   
Still speechless, he simply nodded, watching as the girl headed towards the door. The jets were already running on the ship. It was only Dorme and Leia left to board it. The petite brunette began to run towards the open hatch, Leia safely tucked beneath her arm.   
It was then Obi-Wan sensed it. Danger. Darth Vader was near, his presence like a black tar that spread over the Force, anger, hatred. Revenge. He thought Obi-Wan was in the ship. Knew something...revenge for...   
"Dorme, come back here."   
She paused, and moved uncertainly back to the mouth of the cave.   
"Master Jedi, we must..."   
The sound of Imperial cruiser battlements. Crackling, an earsplitting bang. The ship exploded in a ball of white-hot orange flame. Using all the strength he could muster, Obi-Wan pushed the wall of heat back, protecting Leia. Dorme let out a squeal, which started Leia crying softly.   
"Come inside, we can't let Vader see us. If he thinks we're dead, we're safe..." Obi-Wan murmured automatically, but his thoughts were brooding on the mind of Anakin Skywalker.   
_Revenge_... 

*** 

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! 


	6. Luke

Nothing much to say. It's become a Luke/Vader, strange, but that's the direction it took! Review, review, review, I beg of you! 

*** 

Anakin settled the ship down next to the farm, his lightsaber in his hand. He would kill them for their betrayal. They had betrayed him, Beru, Owen, Cliegg, and had followed Obi-Wan's commands instead. The Lars' didn't even know Obi-Wan. So much for blood being thicker than water. Rage flowed through him, and he felt the comforting thoughts of his Master, Sidious. The idea of being a Sith still repulsed him, but if it meant there was still a thread of hope that Padme would be saved...   
Two Stormtroopers flanked him. Clones weren't being used anymore, there just weren't enough of them. Few people realized that average citizens were being brainwashed, forced into fighting for the Empire.   
_Control your thoughts, Vader_, Sidious ordered mentally, _we come to bring order to a chaotic galaxy._   
A vision of his mother flashed into his head.   
"Open the door!" The Stormtroopers barked.   
Beru cautiously let it swing open a few inches. Anakin was glad for the dark helmet and the breather to disguise his identity. The girl stared curiously at the two white troopers and Vader. He noticed she had a ring on her finger now, a plain band. Beru Lars.   
"May I help you?" she asked nervously.   
She was frightened, but not for herself. He knew he had been right all along. The child was here. A girl? A boy? He reached out with his mind, beyond Beru, beyond Cliegg and Owen.   
A baby, a boy, being hidden in an empty moisture canister in the back storage room.   
"Hold her."   
"Shall we eliminate her, Lord Vader?"   
He hesitated. Her blue eyes pinned him down, pity swimming in them. Love? Did she know his identity? Impossible...   
"Find her husband. Hold him as well."   
The old man in the wheelchair was no threat, he thought idly as he stalked through the whitewashed hallways. Though there were dozens of moisture canisters, he knew exactly which one to go to, the second farthest from the back. With his mechanical hand he easily prised off the lid of the canister. There in the bottom was a tiny bundle of swaddling, with sandy blonde hair and icy eyes. Nothing at all like his Padme, a small clone of himself. The child began to shriek, and he realized it was the mask. He flipped it up, and the child let out a soft hiccup and began to coo happily. Instinctively he reached down and lifted the boy up. His son. A father. He smiled, and the baby smiled back.   
"Anakin, what are you doing?" a rough voice demanded.   
He spun around in shock to see Cliegg staring him down coldly.   
"I am Darth Vader..." he replied, but it sounded weak even to his own ears.   
Cliegg frowned, and moved his chair forward. "Anakin, Anakin...we would have taken good care of Luke. We would have told him his father was a hero. What would Shmi think?"   
"She would want her grandchild to be raised by its father, instead of having her family betray each other," Vader blasted back.   
"Anakin, you're just a boy. Twenty two years old. You're not old enough to be a father. You've become a Sith Lord. It doesn't have to be that way, boy. We still care about you..."   
For a moment Darth Vader became Anakin again. He felt prickling at his eyes, and wished the mask was down again. He let out a soft wail, and Cliegg sighed.   
"Boy, you don't have to live like this!"   
"But I do," he replied, "You don't understand. There are reasons..."   
Padme. He couldn't explain to this man that he would go to the ends of the galaxy for her, that he would become a slave once again, Palpatine's slave, on the slim chance she might be saved. Yet somehow, though he was not Force-sensitive, though he had only met Anakin once before, he knew.   
"Your girl," he said simply, "I know."   
"I'm taking Luke," he replied coldly, pulling the mask down over his face. "He's all I have left."   
Cliegg nodded, "I can't stop you. But I also can't see a Sith being able to show love, though I know you do boy."   
He carried the child past the stormtroopers.   
"Leave them, we are returning to the ship."   
_Kill them, Vader, destroy them. They were trying to hide your son from you, conspiring with Obi-Wan to ruin you, to destroy your sanity..._   
Anakin ignored the thoughts of Sidious as he walked towards the dark ship, the stormtroopers following obediently. Baby Luke was crying, but it would be easy to find a servant to clean him up and feed him while his father tried to explain himself to his master.   
He set the child on his bed, and ordered the nearest stormtrooper to watch Luke until he returned. The soldier appeared surprised, but was trained in obedience, and did what he was told.   
The doors were open for him, Sidious waiting at the window.   
"Master..."   
"Vader. You disobeyed me. Do you want me to release the Senator from the carbonite? She's taking up valuable space here..."   
"Forgive me, Master, please," Vader replied, dropping to his knees. "My disobedience was for the sake of my child."   
"Your...child?"   
Vader nodded, "My son. Luke Skywalker. He was being hidden by the Lars family."   
"I assumed the child had died. Have you tested his midi-chlorians?"   
"Not yet, master."   
Sidious smiled, "It is lucky, then, he has the two greatest warriors the Force has crafted to teach him."   
Vader nodded, though he knew it was untrue. Obi-Wan Kenobi was still a more skilled Knight than Anakin, even with the power of the Sith at his side.   
"You have done well, but you still disobeyed me. Look out the window, Vader," Sidious cajoled.   
He peered across the Tatooine landscape, biting his lip to keep from gagging. Stormtroopers surrounded the Lars homestead. They had shot Beru and Owen, their bodies had been charred, and the Stormtroopers purposely left them out under the baking suns.   
"For a moment while you were on the surface, I lost contact with you...did you shield your thoughts? Were you talking to your brother and you didn't want me to hear?" Sidious demanded.   
"I did not, Master!" Vader protested, realizing that Sidious hadn't sensed the conversation with Cliegg. Odd, very odd...   
"You tell the truth...but this is your punishment. You must destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi's ship. We've picked it up on our scanners."   
"Master..." Vader protested. He had chased down the ship to rescue Padme, not kill her crew, his old Master, and her best friend.   
"You must do it! Look there, beneath us...the ship has landed for final repairs before takeoff."   
For a moment, Vader remembered an old memory from years ago, when he was just Anakin the slave on Tatooine. He was glad for the mask again, for it hid the smile that played on his lips. That was the old hideout cave for Gardulla the Hutt's treasures, which ran the gamut from illegal glitteryll shipments to Twi'lek massage girls. It was abandoned now, the perfect place to hide from an exploding ship. Unfortunately, there was no way to warn Obi-Wan without Sidious noticing.   
"Master Sidious..."   
"Vader, think of him! He tried to destroy you."   
Anakin did the only thing he could think of to warn Obi-Wan. _Revenge_, he thought loudly, broadcasting to half the planet. It was false, more than anything he felt guilt for what he had done to the order. He hoped Obi-Wan had heard it and had hidden. But glancing at Sidious, he knew that the old Sith had been fooled.   
Biting his lip, he pressed the fire button.   
The Naboo ship burst into flames.   
Sidious patted him gently on the back, and smiled conspiratorially.   
"Go spend some time with your child, Vader. You have done your duty."   
He winced as he passed the carbonite figure of Padme. 

*** 

Aww, so maybe Vader ain't such a bad guy after all - Canadians in big suits can be hiding a big Sith heart in there. (Sorry, too much caffeine). Review! Review now! 


	7. Legacy

Well well well me mateys! I write yet another chapter to this wondrous tale! Well, perhaps not wondrous, but I think it's fun! Enjoy, and thanks again for reading. 

*** 

He handed Dorme a blaster set to kill. The charred remains of the ship still smoked in the entrance, burning Dorme's nostrils and blinding her to nearby danger.   
"I doubt the stormtroopers know that there's a cave here, but if they do they'll come looking for survivors. Listen for their footsteps, and if in doubt, look at Leia. Her Force sensitivity will tell her when there are others around. If she whimpers or cries, be careful."   
"Where are you going?"   
"I sensed Darth Vader when the ship attacked," Obi-Wan responded, "I felt something, I'm not sure what. I have to go check on Luke, just in case.   
Though she stood up straight and nodded regally, Obi-Wan knew she was frightened. Sith, the girl was younger even than Padme Amidala by two years. Wonderful odds. A six month old baby, a twenty four year old woman, and a thirty five year old ex-Jedi knight who had the privilege of being known as "the one that trained Darth Vader."   
Leia gurgled complacently, and rolled over.   
"I'll be back quickly, I'm sure there's nothing wrong."   
He didn't sound convincing. There was a ripple in the force. Perhaps it had just been the ship exploding, the few crew left on board dying. But there was something else, too. He had to admit that after Anakin joined the Dark Side, his powers had waned. Perhaps it was an aftereffect, some kind of echo...   
Deep in his heart he knew he was trying to convince himself. He already knew what he would find at the Lars homestead without being there. He could feel it.   
As he crested the hill, he saw it. The homestead was burning, smoking. Obi-Wan sucked in his breath. Even Anakin was not this far gone. Was he? His own brother, sister-in-law...   
Beru and Owen's bodies lay under the Tatooine sun, charred and skeletal. Though Kenobi had seen worse, he had to concentrate on not throwing up in the sand. The idea that his Padawan had done such a thing to the ones his mother had loved...   
Where was Cliegg? He reached out with his mind, and felt a tendril of consciousness greeting him. Without wasting another moment, Obi-Wan sprung into action, leaping into the ashen remains of the building, battling the heat and acrid smoke burning his lungs, finding Cliegg in a little-noticed corner of a moisture storage room. Luckily the water had kept down the flames. He was low to the ground, had fallen from his wheelchair. Though the man was large, Obi-Wan managed to pull him outside, making sure to turn him away from the bodies of his children.   
"Mister Lars," Obi-Wan whispered.   
The old man opened pale blue eyes, watering under the sunset. "It was Vader...he burnt down the door with his lightsaber...took Luke. He ordered the stormtroopers to leave, but..."   
"But what?" Obi-Wan demanded furiously, "What did he do?"   
He snapped his mouth shut, realizing how much like Anakin he sounded like. Perhaps Anakin had simply inherited all of his negative traits, Obi-Wan thought with horror. No, no, he reassured himself, Anakin had been scarred long before the Order had found him.   
"He took Luke...Oh, Beru! Owen! Shmi would have been so..."   
The man went slack jawed. His face calm, but his emotions tempestuous, Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Anakin had done this. Anakin had killed his entire family in cold blood just to take his child. Sith knows what he was doing to poor Luke, what he had done with Padme. He had thought that perhaps there was something of the innocent child he'd known, something of Anakin, his sweet nature below the surface of anger, but now, he realized nobody was safe.   
He had to protect Dorme and Leia. They were all that was left of the legacy of Padme and Anakin Skywalker. 

*** 

Whoooooo...what's gonna happen next? Review review review! 


	8. PART 2: New Beginnings

PART TWO: 

It is eighteen years after Obi-Wan, Dorme, and Leia were left stranded on Tatooine. Just to note, since the Star Wars prequel timelines have Luke and Leia born a few years after Anakin and Padme's marriage (I'm guessing about ten years or so), and my story has them born a year after their union, Obi-Wan is somewhat younger in my story, he is now only fifty two. 

*** 

Leia pulled on a pair of brown leather boots, lacing them up carefully to keep out the sand that seemed to get into everything on this planet. At one time the desert planet had confounded and frustrated Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had loathed it, despised the decadence of the Hutts in charge, the way gambling was encouraged. The slaves. Though he knew it was dishonest, he had used his Force abilities to gamble what little they had, and turn it around into quick profits. Then again, Qui-Gon had done the same, using the gamblers' vice as justification enough. Now, Obi-Wan justified it as the lesser of two evils. Money was always needed, whether it was for the moisture collectors that Leia had accidentally destroyed in lightsaber practice, or the time that Dorme was attacked by the Sandpeople and her clothes had been torn and ripped.   
He still remembered that day. Dorme had gone out to watch the podraces, on the cliffs, and had vanished. He'd found her beaten badly, the Sandpeople still clustered around her, grabbing at hair and cloth, until he ignited his lightsaber. Just the sound of it had terrified them, and they had scattered, memories of Anakin still imprinted in their memories, no doubt. Though he felt guilty for doing so, he had left Leia behind, giving her Anakin's lightsaber, with the orders to 'use it if strangers come in.' She'd practiced with his before, set low, and in truth was not that good with it. Later he would tell her about Anakin, and she would treasure the weapon, practicing with newfound passion.   
Dorme was half-conscious, and he'd had to carry her back to the cavern, bruised and bloodied, trying to hide her from Leia. Not that it had made any difference. Instead of being frightened, Leia had come up to her 'mother,' and had started spontaneously healing her wounds with the Force. She hadn't had the strength to do much, but she had taught herself healing techniques that Jedi masters took years to learn. He'd healed the more serious wounds, but he still had to watch over her for days. He had to admit, he had been impressed by her. Most would have died from the beating she took. That had been the beginning of it, the beginning of their relationship...   
Leia smiled, looking from her mother to her father with a knowing grin. Dorme looked up quizzically from her book, her brown eyes locking on Leia.   
"What? You two aren't thinking to each other again, are you?"   
Leia laughed, knowing that being the only one not Force-sensitive in the home left Dorme somewhat paranoid. She shook her head and pointed at her father.   
"Father was thinking about you," she murmured, "Broadcasting it to half of Tatooine, in fact. It was sweet."   
Obi-Wan blushed, and went to the doorway. The horizon was a reddish gray haze, as if great fingers had spread the sand over the sky and mixed it with the sun. It was the sign of a certain sandstorm, and a destructive one, Obi-Wan guessed. He had eighteen years of experience judging them. The sky of Tatooine had become familiar to him, like the lines on his palm. When he was first stranded here, he'd hated the place. Desert, sand, and the unending heat. Every drop of water was precious, worth it's weight in gold, and as bad as a sand scrub had sounded when Anakin described it, it was worse in reality. He hated sleeping in the same place every night, in a cave, for Force sake, waking up every morning in the same place, to a baby that belonged to his nemesis, and a handmaiden who kept up a stolid facade, only to flood the room with her feelings of grief.   
He hadn't expected to last this long, let alone grow to enjoy living here. Then again, he never expected to become so much like Anakin. Turning his back on the Code, on the Jedi, on Master Yoda.   
It hadn't turned him to the Dark Side. In fact, he was happier than he had ever been as a Knight.   
"I didn't realize that it was storming so badly out there," Leia murmured, "I suppose the mushrooms'll have to wait until later. I'll just go and practice meditation with Qui and Owen."   
Obi-Wan nodded distantly, pouring himself a glass of Bantha milk. Yet another part of Tatooine he had hated once, and had grown to love. Qui and Owen, his two young sons, names chosen by Dorme after hearing Obi-Wan's stories of the Jedi Order. Even after all these decades, Obi-Wan couldn't call his son Qui-Gon. It was too painful. So it had been shortened to Qui by him and had stayed Qui to everyone. Dorme sat placidly, continuing through her novel, an old paper one, and the only sounds were of Leia's footsteps and water dripping into the collection bucket. Quietly, Obi-Wan went over to his wife, sat beside her, and gave her a kiss on the top of her brown hair. She smiled and looked up, ready to say something...   
"Qui-Gon Kenobi! What have you done to this lightsaber?" Leia snapped, "Owen, Owen, no! No, Owen, that's..."   
A crashing sound. Dorme winced, and Obi-Wan shook his head. The two boys began to laugh, and Leia began to growl at the two of them.   
"You two are turning into real little Siths, you know that?" she lectured them, "How do you expect to ever be wise in the way of the Force if you keep acting like a pair of Jar Jars?"   
Obi-Wan reached for Dorme's hand, pulling her up from the couch and towards the staircase he had carved from the wall so long ago with his lightsaber. "Come, we need to talk." 

*** 

Heh, it's a bit of a turnaround for Obi-Wan Kenobi. One of my reviewers suggested this and I had already begun writing this! It's great that I'm taking the story in a direction you like...and thanks again! Love all you reviewers! 


	9. The Shrine

Well, here's some Luke/Vader for you all! 

*** 

_ A swirling apparition in a gauze dress, like liquid fog swirling in the breeze. Padme, his Padme, leaning against the balcony where they had married, her face away from him, watching the island placidly. Her long curls and soft back faced him, and he longed to go and touch them. His lips involuntarily moved into a smile, his heartbeat quickening, his hands trembling at the thought of her. Slowly he moved towards her, and ran a finger down her back. She turned towards him, a contented expression gracing her porcelain skin. Her eyes locked with his, and a look of sheer horror came over her._   
_ Padme began to scream, but it was silent. Confused, Anakin looked down. He was entirely in black. His hand went to his face, feeling a cold plastic mask. Swallowing, he turned to Padme, trying to calm her. But she was only a black carbonite statue..._

He awoke in a cold sweat, and looked around the room. The dreams were coming even more frequently lately. They had started a few days after he had found Luke. Perhaps there was still a thread of consciousness in Padme's pained body, reaching out to her husband and son. Her son. Where was he? Where had he gone? Then he remembered.   
Luke had said he was going to practice his sparring. Sparring? The boy practiced little, and though he had natural talent, it was rarely honed. More often he was bragging about his lightsaber skills to anyone who would listen, and as he was the son of Darth Vader, very few would dare disrespect him. The crew of the Death Star would listen politely, and agree with anything Luke said.   
Darth Vader. Anakin hadn't thought of himself as Darth Vader in years, though he never took off the mask and costume. Padme could never love a creature like him, that had turned into such evil.   
He had to check on her, make certain she was all right. Leaping out of bed, he hurried out, headed for the Shrine.   
The tiny room hadn't originally been a shrine. Padme's carbonite body was kept in a small room beside the Emperor's mazelike residence, just to make sure Vader knew his place, that Padme was at Sidious' arm's length, and could be killed at any moment.   
Now, it had turned into Anakin's refuge. Flowers scattered the floor around Padme's form, her favourites, Alderaanian roses, and he had a holo constantly played of Naboo, spinning in blue light in one corner. If she was frozen, she shouldn't be able to feel anything, see anything. However, the dreams of her, the occasional flashes of electricity in the Force, had convinced him that there was unknown consciousness bubbling beneath the stony form. The Emperor hadn't expected the hours Anakin spent alone in the shrine, and had now begun to distrust Vader. Anakin knew that, and cared little. For eighteen years he had been nothing but the killing machine of the Empire. He appeared to command the Death Star, but in reality had no power. The decisions came from Sidious, and he was simply the face that took the blame of the evil. Anakin Skywalker, forever the slave.   
He looked down at the form of a girl, silver black, closed eyes, a pained expression forever frozen on her face. Anakin used to bring Luke in the room, show him his mother, and tell stories about her as handmaiden Padme Naberrie, as Princess of Theed, Queen and Senator of Naboo, and his wife. He hadn't done a good job raising Luke, he realized. How had he expected Luke, an eighteen year old, to think of his peer as his father? To respect a man who for all intents and purposes appeared twenty one years old? He had been thrust into the position of raising a child, just as Obi-Wan had.   
Sith, if only he could talk to Obi-Wan now, beg for forgiveness, see his old Master one more time. The father he had abandoned. He was amazed how much he had become like Obi-Wan as he aged, more pragmatic, definitely more cynical. The result of years of disappointment and shame, he supposed. The result of being the only Padawan in the history of the order to have killed his own Master. For years Anakin had hunted down the last rogue Jedi at the command of Vader. None had heard from Obi-Wan Kenobi in years, not even the few rogues they had tracked down on Tatooine. His presence couldn't be felt in any of the cities Anakin had visited, though he had tried to reach out for his master in the Force. He thus concluded that Obi-Wan had been inside the ship he had blown up.   
"And then I said that...oh, hello, Father."   
Mara Jade and Luke stood in the doorway, their expressions cold, both dressed entirely in black. The redhead crossed her arms tightly over her chest, watching Anakin with cold suspicion. Luke's mouth formed into a hard line, his eyes staring at the floor.   
Anakin knew already that the two were lovers. The two of them would have taken years, if not decades to pair off normally, they were so guarded, but the Emperor had encouraged the match. Invariably he had imagined ultra-loyal, Force-gifted children from the match, a small guard of them to do his bidding as Mara Jade, Luke and Anakin now did. They tried to keep it hidden from Anakin, but he knew. The furtive glances, the subtle body movements, and the invented excuses were all part of the language Anakin had learned all too well after his marriage to Padme.   
"Erm, Father, I just wished to show Mara the holo of Naboo before we finish our...erm...sparring match."   
Mara didn't acknowledge that statement, instead her eyes lingering on Vader before taking in the flower petals and art on the walls. She grimaced, and left, Luke quickly following her. Anakin paused for a moment. Luke didn't trust his own father, could not even bring himself to tell his father about his lover.   
Then again, Anakin thought, he hadn't told Obi-Wan about Padme. And yet somehow he knew the entire time.   
He moved to the door, trying to catch up with Luke, wanting to explain everything to him, the Order, Padawans, Masters, his mother. But that would have to wait, as he heard his master's voice in his mind.   
_ Vader, I have a job for you._

*** 

As you can tell this story is really about Obi-Wan and Anakin with the rest of them all thrown in for a big Star Wars-a thon. It's fun anyway. Thank you *big hugs* to all who have reviewed! 


	10. Cantina

Heh... I know, I know, Mara Jade doesn't appear in the original trilogy. And I know it took them 10 years to get together... BUT there is a reason I wanted them to get together so fast. I hope you can see why later...enjoy this chapter. 

*** 

Obi-Wan lifted the hood over his head, making certain he was well disguised. Throughout Tatooine he was known as 'lucky Kenobi,' the gambler who never lost a bet. It also meant that all manner of pathetic creatures wrapped their begging tentacles around him, with any number of so-called lucrative deals and charities.   
Leia looked around, taking in the city for the first time. She was more used to Mos Espa, where the gamblers were less rough, more reputable. She was intrigued, he could tell, and with her scalpel mind, was dissecting every stall, every droid, every person. Her eyes lingered for a moment on a podracer, half destroyed by blowing sand, sitting in a nearby alleyway. Obi-Wan had told Leia about Anakin and the podrace, that he was once one of the greatest Jedi. He had also told her Anakin was killed by Darth Vader, just as her twin brother had been. He had to think of something, considering that even at six months old, she remembered Luke. Not that Obi-Wan was certain the boy was dead. Indeed, when in moments of deep meditation, he occasionally had flashes of emotion that felt much as Leia's did. More so recently, intense emotions...   
"Father, is this the Cantina?" she asked.   
"It's best if you don't call me father, Leia. Many gamblers hold grudges against me here," he instructed.   
She nodded, a puzzled look on her face, "What will I call you, then?"   
"Ben Kenobi is the name I go by here. Just sit at the bar, listen to the music, and don't talk to anyone. I'll try and find you a ship to Dagobah."   
He moved forward, blending easily into the crowd in his rough homespun cloak. She moved towards the only free seat at the bar, next to a Twi'lek dancer taking a break, and a messy man who looked like a drifter. He was drinking something pink and glowing, an attractive looking drink, so unlike the Bantha milk never in short supply at home.   
"What'll it be for you, little lady?" the barkeep asked, grinning with his large yellow tusks.   
"I'll have what he's having," she replied through the veil.   
The drifter looked up at her, a sour expression on his face, and kicked back the pink liquid with a snort, then grimaced.   
"You sure you can handle a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, sweetie? Maybe a nice Rekarri Sunburst..."   
"If I didn't want it, I wouldn't have asked for it," she replied coldly.   
The bartender looked surprised, then walked off. From the corner of Leia's eyes, she caught the man staring at her with open, glassy eyes.   
"What are you looking at?" she asked.   
"Well, little Princess, not very..."   
She carefully unclipped the veil from her head and dropped it into her lap as she sniffed the pink contents of the glass. The man's words caught in his throat, and he motioned for another drink.   
"You were saying?"   
"The name's Han Solo. I'm the Captain of a ship, the Millennium Falcon. Fastest in the outer rim, can outrun any stormtrooper. I do the Kessel run usually."   
"Ever go anywhere near Dagobah?" Leia asked, sipping at the white-hot drink and willing herself not to flinch.   
His face grew guarded, "Why do you ask?"   
"I need passage to it, no questions asked."   
"It's nothing but a big swamp! What the heck..."   
"No questions asked," she said quietly, "And no run ins with Stormtroopers."   
A smile crossed his face then, and with one gulp he polished off his second drink, "That's all right then. How much?"   
"Five thousand. No more, no less..."   
"Five thousand!"   
She stared wide-eyed at him, trying her best to look pitiable. It worked, because he went silent and nodded.   
"What'd you say your name was, lady?"   
"Leia Kenobi," she replied without thinking.   
"Hey, any relation to Ben Kenobi? You know, the crazy old hermit that only comes out of the desert to win at the Boonta Eve Classic?"   
Obi-Wan responded tartly, his mouth forming into a flat line, "I see you have had more luck than I, daughter. Come, Solo, I'll examine your ship before you depart. I must warn you, though - craziness is genetic in the Kenobi line."   
_Father_, Leia chided mentally, amused nonetheless.   
Looking uncomfortable, Han Solo finished up his drink. Crazy hermits, women in white, and five thousand for a run all the way to Dagobah and back? What had he gotten himself into? No woman was worth that, no matter what she looked like.   
Both Obi-Wan and Leia were quite aware of his thoughts broadcast across the Cantina, and while Leia tried not to blush at the unaccustomed attention, averting her eyes from his, Obi-Wan had his eyes locked on the young man, his thoughts suspicious, plotting how he would make sure the man would keep away from his very young daughter.   
Han left a tip for the bartender. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.   
But what was with that hair? 

*** 

So now we've all met good old Han, still the pirate type. You said you wanted him to be in the story and I have delivered! Review, review review... 


	11. Millennium Falcon

It'll be a day or two till I next update...forgive me, it's just because I'm just beginning university this week. Cross your fingers for me! Oooh, you'll see how Leia and Luke meet. Just have to keep reading! 

*** 

Han Solo proudly grinned as they stepped into the hangar. It was the Millennium Falcon, his baby, Chewie watching him from the ramp.   
"Here she is," he crowed, "The Millennium Falcon. Beautiful, isn't she?"   
"You came in that?" Leia responded coolly, "You're braver than I thought."   
"Hey, Princess..." he protested angrily.   
Obi-Wan smiled at the nickname, pleased that the five minute walk from the Cantina had convinced Leia that this pilot was nothing but an uneducated boor. Not even Leia knew that she had almost become the Princess of Alderaan. The ship, he decided, would have to do. Perhaps its well-worn appearance would deflect any suspicion from Leia.   
"Let the Force guide you to Dagobah," he murmured to his daughter, and embraced her.   
He did not want her to go. In fact, he thought this was one of the worst ideas he had ever conceived, but Dorme had convinced him it was the right choice. Qui and Owen were already quite adept with their practice lightsabers, Force-sensitive enough to use telekinesis, but didn't have the proper control. In fact, he had found Qui and Owen using their powers to throw toys at each other from across the room. Obi-Wan had thought perhaps he could train Leia, Qui and Owen all at the same time, but had come to learn that there was a reason for the one padawan, one master rule. If all went well, Leia would become a knight herself, and could train one of them. But what if Master Yoda still held a grudge for Obi-Wan's insolence? Obi-Wan hadn't done particularly well with his first Padawan. Perhaps Master Yoda would remember that, and would dismiss Leia because of it. If Yoda did train her, however, she would become a talented knight. Maybe help rebuild the Order. His brow furrowed, and he knew she sensed his concern.   
"I will be careful, Father. I can take care of myself."   
"I know. But be careful of him," he pointed at Han, narrowing his eyes.   
She laughed, and wrapped her cloak about her thin body, touching her lightsaber protectively before covering it.   
"You know there isn't much to worry about when you're concerned about a scruffy flyboy and his bucket of bolts," she replied, turning up her nose and heading towards the ramp, "Good-bye, Father. Tell mother I love her, and not to worry. Then again, you've always been the worrier...I'll return soon."   
Obi-Wan turned to Han, "You make sure she gets there without a scratch, or I..."   
"You'll what?" Han interrupted with amusement.   
"I'll set Jabba the Hutt on you," he finished with a flourish.   
Han shook his head, "No reward is worth this."   
Chewie made a vicious-sounding yowl in response, planting himself directly in Leia's path.   
Leia sighed in frustration, "And will someone please remove this walking carpet from my way?" 

*** 

Yeah I know, it's short. Frosh week, guys, cut me some slack! Remember, the more reviews, the more likely I am to update. They make me very happy! 


	12. Alderaan

I know. I didn't update. I'm sorry. There's nothing more to say. 

*** 

Luke slid the black gloves onto his thin fingers, glancing in the mirror in front of him momentarily. In the smooth glass he could see Mara Jade's reflection, practicing her saber technique. Dancing, he thought, more than fighting, watching her slim form move freely, her red hair swirling beneath the air vent. She wore nothing, her clothes scattered about the bedroom, and to Luke she seemed more like a moving statue, some goddess from a backward planet. Not that Luke knew much about any place other than the Death Star; if it didn't have to do with flying, he simply wasn't interested. A Tatooine sandpixie, he decided, though he had no clue where the image came from.   
_ Romantic nonsense, contrived by a naive boy_, Mara thought loudly. _Stop wasting time, spar with me._   
He shook his head, and zipped his black shirt up to his neck, examining himself one more time in the mirror, trying to will away the red flush that tinged his cheeks. Mara was right. She was always right. He had never really left the Death Star, whereas, she had been to every corner of the galaxy. She was beautiful, he was not, just as she was experienced, he ignorant. How, he wondered, had fate managed to bring two more unlikely people together?   
His eyes tore away from her slight form, and he headed towards the door. The Emperor had summoned him to the bridge. He nervously smiled at her, and she nodded coolly, the most emotion that she ever showed. He loved her, he knew that. But her? Affection? No; toleration. Still, Luke thought, it was something, and it pleased the Emperor that they were together.   
On the bridge was only Darth Vader. Anakin, he thought bitterly, trying to ignore the shadow standing at the corner of the room. Anakin sensed it, and opened his mouth to speak to Luke alone.   
The hologram crackled on, interrupting anything Anakin was planning to say. He knew enough to stay silent when the Emperor made an appearance.   
"We have a momentous task ahead of us. We have captured Bail Organa of Alderaan. Despite our efforts to extract information about the rebels from him, he was less than forthcoming. As an example to other worlds that wish to undermine our authority, we will make an example of the people of Alderaan."   
Vader nodded, immediately sensing what the Emperor wished, "I shall eliminate the planet, Master."   
The Emperor let out a sharp growl, surprising Anakin, "Not you, Vader. Your son. With his decision to wed Mara Jade, he steps into his rightful role as a servant of the Empire. Luke; this day you become a man. You will have the honour of destroying those who wish to destroy you and those you love. Destroy them, and pledge your loyalty to me."   
Anakin watched, mesmerized. If it were only a nightmare. He had tried, Force knows he had tried to raise the child as Padme would have wished. It had all been in vain. Luke had made the same mistakes as he had, and now, he would be trapped as a servant to the Emperor. Why hadn't he done something? Why hadn't he realized the poison the Emperor was infecting Luke with?   
The single beam of light arced through dark space, cutting it like a knife.   
In a matter of moments, the planet was rubble; however, the great rift torn in the Force would not disappear so quickly. Luke paused momentarily, then smiled. Anakin held his breath in shock, and gazed at his son through the mask. Luke had enjoyed it. He had reveled in the destruction of the planet. Luke had been swallowed by the Dark Side.   
"You have done well, Skywalker," The Emperor murmured, and vanished.   
Vader turned coldly towards Luke, "You were late."   
Luke sneered and touched his lightsaber, "I was practicing my technique, far from the shrine."   
Anakin winced, "Practicing technique with Mara, no doubt."   
"I would have told you eventually."   
"You did not need to, Luke. One does not have to be Force-sensitive to hear the rampant tales of your exploits. I find your lack of faith disturbing."   
Luke stared at him, "You were not involved. You are not involved. Go back to the shrine. Stay there."   
Anakin nodded slowly, thinking about the pale beaded dress Padme had worn that day on Naboo, "I will. Enjoy the moment of your marriage."   
Anakin knelt at the base of the carbonite, and placed his head reverently at the base, remembering. Pearls, like bubbles, that he'd run his fingers down. A lake full of cold water. His one hand gingerly reaching out for Padme's. Trees swaying in the breeze. Birds. The rough cloak he wore fluttering momentarily. The marriage rites, and then...   
Suddenly another image cut through his, fragmented, momentary.   
_Worry. Nervousness. A slim brunette smiling as she got onto a ship. Father?_   
And then it was gone. 

*** 

Wow. This wasn't so great. Sorry guys, I tried. 


	13. Dagobah

Well, here's another chapter. Not much to say other than that. It's long. 

*** 

Leia sat delicately on the floor of the ship, her mind one with the Force. She could feel the flow of energy, dark today for some reason, feeling even her father so far away on Tatooine. The Wookiee in the cockpit, his mind on a wife back home; the human pilot - Han - letting his mind drift into a daydream. She snickered as she saw herself in the vision, dressed in an unbelievably tiny slave's costume. It was interesting to her, though embarrassing. In the sand dunes back home, the closest thing she came to a man were the Jawas, and they didn't find human females particularly attractive. She let her mind wander, toying with the idea of her and the rogue pilot. No, never. It simply couldn't happen. Besides, he was just a dumb, scruffy flyboy. She would become a Jedi, just like her father...   
"Hey, Princess?"   
She jumped. Her mind had been so far away, she had let her guard down. She sighed, and lifted herself from the ground to face Han Solo.   
"Yes?"   
"Sorry, kid, didn't mean to startle you. Thought you were asleep for a second, but I've never seen anyone sleep sitting up. Anyway, we're at Dagobah. Just wanted to know if you had specific co-ordinates where you wanted to land."   
She opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. Landing. She hadn't thought of that. What to do? A whole planet full of life, and she had to look for one small Jedi master.   
"A map," she muttered, "I need a map of the planet."   
Han looked puzzled, but vanished, reappearing with a tiny hologram. He pressed it into Leia's palm, and stepped reverently from the room. From the time he had spent with the girl, he knew that she preferred being alone. Secretive, he thought. Mysterious. It was impossible not to wonder about her, but at the same time, it was impossible to ask questions. She was graceful and proud, like royalty. Han snickered. Royalty. She was just a farm girl from backwater Tatooine.   
Or perhaps not, he mused, glancing at Leia. Her eyes were closed, and her hand skimmed over the holographic map. Leia's brow furrowed as she concentrated, feeling out gingerly for any sentience.   
Briefly, her mind found the strength. An image of a cave, a fire, cooking food.   
She slapped the button at the base of the globe, and pointed to the point on the continent where she had felt the momentary clarity.   
"Here. You will land here."   
Han shook his head. Randomly picked points on a map? The girl was crazier than he'd thought. And that meditating she'd been doing since she arrived...odd. He ambled over to Chewie, who had been watching the girl with interest.   
"She's got her co-ordinates now - did you see that?"   
Chewie let out a few unintelligible grunts, clearly intimidated by Leia's meditation and apparent mental abilities.   
"Yeah, yeah, Chewie. Hokey religions are no match for a good blaster at your side. Just set the ship down. I know it's a bog...but remember, we're getting paid to put up with her."   
Chewbacca squawked, but carefully began to plot the landing into the Falcon's computer. Han leaned in the doorway as the girl got ready. She had taken off her long cloak to dust it off. He hadn't realized just how small she was until she had taken the cloak off and stood in front of him in her tight jumpsuit. She paused as the ship shook, her face getting pale with the tinge of motion sickness.   
Han laughed, "Space flight ain't like dusting crops, girl!"   
She glared, and righted herself. She had not felt motion sickness, but Han couldn't have known that. In the Force she could feel negative emotions brewing. Something was going to happen, she knew it. Still, that scruffy nerf herder had no right to laugh. With one fluid motion, she swung the cloak around her shoulders and clipped it shut, then headed for the door, completely ignoring Han.   
"You know, it's pretty rough out there," Han muttered.   
She shrugged, touching her waist idly, "I'll be fine."   
"I think I should go with you. Just until you find what you're looking for, kid."   
She grinned, "You don't have to do this to impress me."   
"I know," he replied, zipping up his coat, "I know. But one girl alone in a forest on Dagobah? The odds aren't great."   
Besides, the father might stop payment if his little girl didn't return. Or better yet, if he took really good care of her, he might get a bonus, and be able to pay back Jabba the Hutt in full, he thought with a satisfied smile.   
Leia stared at him coldly, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. She spun on her heel, and stormed from the ship. Han nervously followed, keeping his eyes away from her piercing gaze.   
"Stay with the Falcon, Chewie."   
The Wookkiee let out a yowl, and shut the door. Han looked around, wondering what exactly he'd gotten himself into. The forest was dense and dark, and strange noises emanated from every corner. Leia was hurrying into the brush, as if she knew exactly where to go. Strange how calm she seemed, since he knew she'd probably never even seen a tree before, let alone a forest. Single-mindedness was definitely not a trait she lacked.   
"Where are you going, Princess? There's nothing but more bog out there."   
"Maybe so," Leia replied absently, focusing on the magnetic presence she felt pulling her deeper into the forest.   
Han skittered after her, trying to clamber over the vines and bushes with the agility that came naturally to Leia. After stepping up to his knee in thick black mud, he swore, and stopped underneath the lightless canopy.   
"What kinda fool decides to go traipsing around an orbiting ball of bog?" he growled, shaking his leg.   
Leia stopped far ahead, and stared back at him with a satisfied smile. "Who is more foolish, the fool, or the fool that follows him?"   
He muttered under his breath, and hurried to catch up with her. She suddenly stopped, feeling the presence of someone wise in the Force. It had to be here. Somewhere.   
"What'cha stopping for, Princess?" Han asked, "Something special about this piece of bog?"   
Leia looked around. If only that irritating man would stop calling her Princess. She had to concentrate, to find the Master. Her mind reached out to touch the presence, and then...there was nothing. The feeling she had suddenly vanished, and she was alone.   
"Master Yoda?" she called out, "Master Yoda, please, come back!"   
"Look, kid, there's nothing here," Han said gently, touching her arm, "C'mon, your dad's probably waiting for you back home."   
"Yes, Master Yoda, my father. His name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He sent me here. Master Yoda, please," she fell to her knees, "I beg of..."   
Suddenly, the Force split within her like a great scimitar had sliced through it. The living Force of millions suddenly cried out in terror, pain. Leia had never felt anything so powerful. So negative. Her entire body shuddered, and she rolled to the ground, moaning.   
"Leia! You okay, kid?" Han exclaimed, suddenly guilty for his comment, "I don't think I can carry you back to the Millennium Falcon."   
Suddenly Han jumped as he heard a sound behind him.   
"To my home, you will come. The girl you will bring."   
"Great. First the girl, now a little green troll. I'm starting to wonder if this isn't the result of a bad bottle of ale..."   
"Follow me, you will!" Yoda shouted, banging his gimer stick against the ground angrily. "Waste time, you will not."   
Han reached down to Leia, and slid his arms beneath her cape. His fingers brushed against something metal, and he glanced down. A lightsaber? Hokey religions and ancient weapons, he thought.   
"Sheesh, Princess, you're heavier than you look."   
She winced, and wriggled momentarily, "Why, you scruffy looking, two bit..."   
He frowned, feigning annoyance, "Who's 'scruffy looking'?"   
Yoda led them into a cave that was the perfect height for a pint-sized jedi, but uncomfortable for any normal human. Carefully he set down Leia onto the ground, wrapping her cloak around her body.   
"Leave you may, Han Solo."   
Han didn't notice that the small green creature knew him by name. Instead he crossed his arms and tried to look imposing, which was difficult to master when he was crouched over with his head scraping the rocky ceiling.   
"I ain't leaving until the lady says so, and she's in no condition to be decinding anything right now."   
"Wayward you are, Solo. Here then you will stay until the youngling recovers."   
Han looked down at Leia. She was pale, and the large coils of hair usually bundling her ears had fallen into messy curls. Her eyes were squeezed shut.   
"You'll help her?" he asked, surprised at his own concern.   
"Strength she will regain; never will she forget. Touched her, the dark side has." 

*** 

Long, no? My beta-er has ditched me, as usual, so it's not WONDERFUL (LOL). Anyway, hope you're enjoying reading it, I'm certainly enjoying writing. 


	14. Democracy

If you want to ask me questions on the review boards, please make them clear, and I'll try to answer them as quickly as possible. I'm just starting university again; but I hope to have another chapter up by Reading Week, so worry not.  
  
***  
  
Luke leaned over the clean basin, heaving into it his last meal. His blue eyes watered, and he blindly fumbled to turn on the water. Squeezing shut his swimming eyes, he rubbed his temples, trying to concentrate through the thudding of his brain. The last cries of the people of Alderaan, he thought to himself.  
  
"Romantic garbage," an icy voice snapped behind him, "Get up."  
  
He jumped. Rarely was he surprised by people sneaking up on him. Mara Jade least of all, who he had thought was intimately connected to him through the Force. Squinting, he stepped towards her, but moving proved more difficult than he had assumed, and a new wave of nausea overcame him.  
  
Suddenly, he felt Mara Jade's mind reaching out to him, an infusion of her cold thoughts, unfettered by emotion. She tossed a towel at him as he righted himself, and crossed her arms in annoyance.  
  
"Just what do you think you're doing?" she demanded. "Don't be a child. I sometimes wonder what possesses the Emperor to entrust you with so much responsibility."  
  
He winced at the comment. Too true. He was too juvenile, too sensitive, to become a servant of the Emperor. It was eighteen years before that the Emperor had rescued him from Tatooine. Would it have been better if he'd been left there, the son of some moisture farmer, or a junk dealer. Or a slave, he mused. At least that would have toughened him up.  
  
"Perhaps I was too hard on you, Luke," Mara muttered, "Come, sit next to me. I said, in a moment of anger, what I should not have. You are inexperienced, Luke, and you don't understand the importance of the Empire. Now, you feel the pain of the Alderaanians, the destruction in the Force. You assume that the destruction of Alderaan must be wrong."  
  
Luke pulled his black gloves back onto thin, girlish fingers, "Are you trying to tell me that there was something good gained from the destroyina an entire planet? That there was a reason for killing millions of people?"  
  
Mara pinned him down with eyes that made anyone squirm, "And are you saying that the Emperor is wrong?"  
  
He looked away, standing up and going for a drink rather than answering her. The Emperor had always been like a father to them. To Mara especially. Even during weeks when his father, Darth Vader, had been gone, the Emperor had always been there, schooling him in the finer arts of the lightsaber, in piloting. Vader had never been there, Luke thought angrily, and the Emperor had. He had proved himself tough to his father, but he had not managed to prove it to the Emperor, the one he was loyal to.  
  
Still, did loyalty extend even to genocide? Never.  
  
"Don't be so overdramatic," Mara frowned, "It is hardly genocide. Alderaanians are scattered throughout the galaxy, I remind you, and have a number of settlements. I might add that the majority of rebel strongholds are manned by Alderaanians. By destroying Alderaan, the Emperor should prove to you that he loves the galaxy."  
  
"What are you saying?" he asked, frowning as his voice fell into its customary wail.  
  
Luke fumbled with the bottle, the headache again returning, more likely this time the result of too much guilt. Mara's face had softened, if you could describe it as such. She was never a soft woman, her only tenderness shown towards the Emperor. And the Emperor wanted he and Mara Jade together. Was that the only reason she approached him?  
  
Did it matter?  
  
"Bring me a glass of water as well, Luke," she murmured, "Do you remember when we were small, and we would learn about galactic history? Do you remember the days before the Empire, when the Jedi kept the peace? Or attempted to, anyway. How only selected areas of the galaxy were policed? That there were hundreds of systems where there was no law, since they did not belong to the galactic Senate? Or the fact that it could take years for laws to be enforced by the Senate? The Emperor came to power, with Darth Vader at his side, and the first thing they did was stamp out slavery. Can you imagine it, Luke? Children working sixteen hours a day in filthy mines...and now some people want the old ways back. People who believe in democracy. Who believe in fighting unnecessary wars. The rebels, supported by Alderaan and Bail Organa."  
  
He whimpered, knowing how childish it sounded, "But it was awful, Mara! That hollow feeling..."  
  
She moved next to him, brushing her hand over his hair in a distant show of affection, "The lesser of two evils. The Emperor would not have asked you to do something if he did not think it was important."  
  
He refused to look at her, instead concentrating on pouring the water into the pair of glasses.  
  
"The Emperor is keeping order in the galaxy. He needs your help, Luke. The three of us together, we can control destiny."  
  
The three of us, Luke mused. Luke, Mara, Emperor. Darth Vader, a forgotten shell of an apprentice.  
  
You could come my apprentice, my most trusted confidante.  
  
In Luke's mind, the Emperor's voice was as clear as the cries of Alderaan's people. Cajoling or loving?  
  
"Luke," Mara brushed her hand against his simply, "We are your family."  
  
***  
  
Well, I hope it wasn't too syrupy. Who knows, in the next chapter they might make cereal necklaces and sing Kum Ba Yah in one big Sith family reunion. I noticed a few comments that pointed out a few vague areas in my story so far; I hope to have them cleared up soon enough. 


	15. Visions

And we're back! Well after reading week, I might add. I lied, apparently. Aren't I mean? 

*** 

"Look, little green...whatever you are, I don't believe in this hokey jedi mumbo jumbo so you better tell me what's going on. I'm not just going to leave, even if she is a spoiled brat." 

Yoda shook his head, and began stirring what appeared to be his dinner. Han scowled, and followed the small creature, which only resulted in him banging his head on the ceiling. 

"More careful you should be," Yoda cautioned, "Mmm! Mmm! Come, good food." 

"Look, will you be serious for a minute?!? She could really be hurt!" Han barked, glancing over at the small figure draped in white. 

"Impatient you are!" Yoda muttered, "Listen you do not. Balance, it is in everything. This one, she is on the side of the Force. Strong, she is." 

"Her?" Han snickered, "She's nothing but a whiny, spoiled child from out on the Tatooine moisture farms. I bet she'd faint at the sight of a Stormtrooper." 

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm? Mmmm," Yoda responded quickly, "Strong, she is. Her family...powerful, they are! Want her, the Dark Side does. Call her they do." 

"Call her?" Han repeated incredulously, snickering. "What, with the Force." 

He waggled his fingers in the air like some kind of magician, which elicited an angry glare from the tiny green Jedi. Han went silent, uncomfortable under Yoda's pinning stare. 

"Laugh, you do, at what you understand not," Yoda snapped, stamping his gimer stick against the dusty ground, "Powerful the lure of the Dark Side is. Pulled in she almost was!" 

Han frowned, and plunked himself down on the rough ground, only half-believing what the diminutive Jedi master told him. 

"Family of warriors, eh?" he mocked, "Nothing quite like fending off sand storms and three foot tall sandpeople. They're a bunch of farmers, how many wars are they gonna fight?" 

Leia stirred, and sneered with open hostility at the pilot, "My father is a great man." 

"Wars not make one great," Yoda replied, "Awakened, she has! Good, good...now, we must eat." 

He doled out the repulsive looking mess that he'd been cooking in his pan. Han swallowed, and pushed the plate away, but Leia surprisingly ate both servings. She looked tired, and had lost the cattiness that she'd had in droves before they'd landed on the ship. He stared openly. She looked pensive, and tired, but still beautiful. Not the prettiness of some of the farm girls, but more sophisticated and intelligent. Daughters of kings, he thought absently, watching as her ghostlike figure lifted itself from the ground, trailing white silk. She didn't deserve to be stranded on some giant bog in the middle of nowhere, expecting some crazy little green monster to train her in the snake oil and parlour tricks the Jediused to use. 

"Look, Princess, you sure you don't just wanna leave this planet, go back home to the moisture farm? You found that Yoda guy, and as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't seem like he's too wise or great to me." 

"Will you stop calling me that?" she snapped, "Yoda must train me. It's my only hope. I saw a vision - I saw Darth Vader killing my father. I've got to save him!" 

"Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor," Yoda replied, banging his gimer stick against the table in emphasis, "Suffer the same fate as your father, you will!" 

"I don't intend on dying by Vader's lightsaber, master," she replied tartly, "But I don't intend on letting my father die, either." 

Yoda sighed, his head sinking, "Understand, you do not. Very young you are. Reckless. Train you, I will, but you must unlearn what you have learned. Patience!" 

Leia nodded demurely, her face expressionless, "Thank you, Master Yoda." 

Han, feeling left out, interjected one last comment. 

"I still say it's hokey mumbo jumbo." 

Yoda and Leia ignored him. 

*** 

Ninety six reviews? That's a bit excessive! Not that I'm complaining, but I'm quite surprised that my loquacious meanderings have gotten any attention whatsoever. Thank you all who commented, I love reading them, and I've found some of my favourite fics by clicking on your names...;-) I didn't beta this one, or write a lot...because it was really late (or early depending on your POV)   
  
  



	16. Guilt

All righty another chapter. Hopefully better than the last one. Maybe not. ;) 

*** 

Obi-Wan watched Dorme sitting on the stairs. Her dark hair was streaked with the first few strands of silver, but she still cajoled it into elaborate hairstyles like the days when she was Senator Amidala's handmaiden and decoy. She was still a young woman, he thought absently. Only just in her forties, while he was an old man. It was a miracle she'd even stayed with him so long, much less have become his wife. On a frontier planet like Tatooine there were plenty of men looking for women. Ones who could have given her a better life than hiding in a cave for eighteen years. 

He rubbed his temples. The guilt was constant. If not for Dorme, for Anakin, for Luke, for Padme, and for Leia. 

What a failure he had been as a Jedi. 

"No, Owen, this is the planet I came from. It's called...well, it was called Naboo. These people are called Gungans... they lived in Naboo's oceans. I once had a friend who was a Gungan. His name was Jar Jar Binks. The Naboo once thought the Gungans were primitive - but in the end, they turned out to be our fiercest allies against the Emperor. See, this is a picture of where I used to live - the capital city." 

"What happened to your friend?" Qui asked. 

Obi-Wan could feel Dorme's sadness, heavy as a weight about his neck. He wondered if the two children could, too. They didn't seem to notice, and kept peering at the pages of the book. 

"I don't know, for certain. When I was young, twenty, I had to leave Naboo. Jar Jar was still there...he replaced my friend Padme as the planet's Senator. But he was also a leader in the rebel cause...I was told he was killed in the destruction of Theed." 

Heavy teardrops were beginning to collect on Dorme's eyelashes, and Obi-Wan moved behind her, protective and angry at the same time. It was moments like this he knew he was closest to the Dark Side. The urge to blame the Emperor and Darth Vader for the pain they had caused was almost overwhelming. The urge for revenge, he thought, the most dangerous emotions to be borne from love. 

"What was it like on Naboo?" Owen inquired with curiosity. 

"It was quite beautiful," Obi-Wan responded. 

He could still clearly remember the trip he had made to Theed when he was still just a young Padawan and Qui-Gon Jinn had still been his wisest mentor and friend. It had been so different from Coruscant or the other outer rim planets he was used to. Anakin had been married there. Many years after the ceremony, he had told Obi-Wan about the lakeside retreat, about the mountains and the waterfalls. He could almost see Anakin's own memories of the peaceful little planet. 

"Come on, up boys, it's time for you to go collect some bantha milk." 

"Now?" Qui whined, "It's too late in the evening." 

"It's just right, cool enough for you two to go out without getting burned...and watch out for sandpeople. Take something in case you have to defend yourself." 

He was still afraid that one of them might inherit Anakin's violent streak. Afraid that he was the one that had fostered it in his Padawan. It would be even more painful to see in one of his own children. At least with Anakin, there was some excuse some reason that he might have become so heartless. But there was still the chance that it was something he, Obi-Wan Kenobi, had done wrong. 

"Fine," Qui sulked, "Come on, Owen, I'm not waiting for you all night." 

The two of them pulled on their boots, and tramped out the door. Obi-Wan moved up beside Dorme, sitting beside her on the stone steps. 

"They're not going to turn out to be Darth Vader, Obi-Wan," she sighed, running her hands over the dry leather edge of the book binding, "They've always been peaceful boys." 

"They weren't peaceful when they knocked over that vase, or when Qui pushed Owen off his bed and onto the floor, or when they put those eggs in my shoes..." 

"But they aren't purposely cruel, Obi-Wan. You have to stop blaming yourself," Dorme slid a hand around his back, "I don't know what kind of Jedi Master you were, but you're a good father." 

"Well," he frowned bitterly, "I suppose that's some consolation for being the Jedi legendary for his incompetence." 

"Obi-Wan, you..." 

He interrupted her, examining the book she held in her hands to try to change the subject. 

"_Naboo for Tourists_? I don't remember ever purchasing that..." 

Dorme laughed, "I can't imagine you ever buying a tourist guide anyhow. No, my lady bought it after she heard the news of the annexation of Naboo. She knew after that she couldn't go back and that they were searching for her. So to keep herself from being homesick, she would get me to read this to her, or she'd look over the photographs. She would have gone back and turned herself in, if she had thought it would have stopped the Emperor and Darth Vader, but she believed in what the Jedi Council told her." 

The Council had failed Padme Amidala, Obi-Wan thought. It had failed the entire galaxy. Too long they had hid from the servants of the Dark Side, hoping that their problems would simply vanish, that somehow the Republic would right itself. No small wonder that the Jedi order were now regarded in memory as being con-men who would perform a few magic tricks and do very little else but make promises. Suddenly he felt disoriented, and his mind was blurred by a vision. 

_Leia, on Dagobah, with Master Yoda. She demanded to be trained impatiently, adamantly.___

_"I don't intend on dying by Vader's lightsaber!" she announced._

"Obi-Wan?" Dorme asked worriedly. "Are you all right?" 

"I'm fine," he replied, lying, "But I'm not sure whether Leia is. Dorme...I have to leave. I have to do my duty as a Jedi." 

"You're going to fight Darth Vader." 

It was a comment, not a question. Sometimes Obi-Wan wondered if she had her own Force-sensitivity. Or perhaps she simply knew him too well. 

"I've spent too long hiding from Anakin. I have to protect Leia from him. I swore as a Jedi to protect the innocent, and for eighteen years I've neglected my duty. Forgive me, my love." 

She smiled at the rare moment of affection, and nodded, "If this is what you're destined to do, then I accept it. I'll be waiting when you return." 

*** Well, I felt like writing some more of the bitter/guilty/occasionally sweet Obi-Wan. This is the kind of guy I WANT Obi-Wan to become...unfortunately, this version of good old Ben Kenobi only exists in fan fiction. Pity, really...anyhow, review, review, review! And, unless I forgot to tell you before, THANK YOU!   
  
  
  



	17. An Angry Wookiee

Blame my ISP! My modem broke and it took them forever to get me another! That and I was lazy. But, with speed stream and new computer in hand, I again put fingertips to keyboard…  
  
***  
  
Leia peered out a view port of the Millennium Falcon, trying for a moment to spot the tiny green Jedi amongst the lush jungle, but there was nothing but tendrils of steam and swaying foliage as the ship lumbered into the air. Though she couldn't see him, she could still feel his presence, far more intelligent than he allowed people to see. How old was Yoda, she wondered? How much had he seen in his long life?  
  
And what was it that she hadn't understood?  
  
"Don't worry, Princess, I'm sure he's fine down there," Han growled reassuringly.  
  
She nodded, only half-listening. When she had left for Dagobah, she had been searching for answers, but her visit with Master Yoda had left her with only more questions. In her mind she could feel the self-doubt burgeoning. Should she have stayed longer with Yoda? Was her father in real danger? Had she caused it?  
  
Suffer the same fate as your father, you will!  
  
Yoda made it sound as if her father's destiny was already set out. Was it too late for Obi-Wan Kenobi?  
  
She concentrated. The source of the destruction, of the tear in the Force. Alderaan, a peace-loving planet that for some reason sounded familiar to her, though she knew she had never been there. Her father's thoughts had sometimes lingered on the planet, on a friend named Bail Organa that she had never known…  
  
"Hey, Princess, you okay?" Han asked, "I knew you shouldn't have listened to that little green snake oil salesman. Let's get you back to Tatooine before your father decides to come after me with his crop…"  
  
"Han," she interrupted with determination, "You're not taking me home. You're taking me to Darth Vader."  
  
He leapt up from the Captain's seat, his head shaking in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding!"  
  
The Wookiee, who had been unusually silent up until that point, began waving his furry arms in the air and letting out loud growls and squawks. He stood over Leia menacingly, and let out a long string of angry, unintelligible noises.  
  
"I am not kidding," she replied imperiously, "And you will bring me to Darth Vader. Otherwise, I'll make sure Jabba the Hutt knows exactly where to find you."  
  
"What? How did you know about that?" Han demanded.  
  
Chewie let out another squawk, this one more worried than the last.  
  
"Look, you drop me off, you leave, you get the money," she replied coldly, "Now, do we have a deal?"  
  
Chewie's wails trailed off and he loped back over to his seat.  
  
"Yeah, I know, Chewie. She's a wonderful girl! Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her."  
  
Leia glared sourly and looked back out the window at Dagobah, which had already become a tiny greyish dot against the black of space.  
  
"All right, Princess, give me the co-ordinates."  
  
She shrugged, "I don't have any co-ordinates to give you. I'll just use the Force to know where we should go."  
  
His eyes widened, "Do you know anything about traveling through hyperspace??? Without precise calculations, we'd fly right through a star, or bounce to close to a supernova, and that would end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"  
  
She smiled, "It worked before. Trust me."  
  
Daintily she stood, and moved over towards the panel. She leaned over, brushing Han's face with the hair that had fallen out from her braids, and closed her eyes. In her mind she could see it. A moon? A small planet? Either way, it was where she needed to go. Slowly, her fingers danced, pressing the buttons.   
  
"There," she declared.  
  
Han looked down, "How the hell did you type in correct calculations with your eyes shut?"  
  
She gave a bitter half-smile as she sat down again and tried to sleep, "I don't know, Han. Maybe just my hokey mumbo jumbo."  
  
***  
  
Well, hope you liked, this chapter was necessary to set up the rest of it *dum dum dum* the conclusion to our little tale! Bye for now, give me ideas or thoughts in any reviews you feel like posting, and thank you again for taking the time to read. 


	18. Secrets

I'm having a lot of trouble uploading, I think it's the new Windows XP, I never had so many problems with Win95. Again, sorry about the wait…

***

__

Padmé was swimming back to shore from the sandy island in the centre of the lake. It was perfect, a mirror reflecting the mountains and cloudless sky. Never had it been more blue and still, almost bright enough to burn his eyes as he watched his wife's tiny figure as she cut through the water. She was stronger than she looked, and as her arms dipped into the water, they made the only ripple on the surface. 

Anakin knew he'd never been as happy in his life. His black robes had been abandoned, and he wore the simple, light clothing favoured by the rural folk of the area. A sandy beach lay in front of him, but he preferred lying on the grass. As a child he had dreamed of becoming a JedI, and now, every fiber in his body told him that here was the place for him, not as the guard who walked behind the Senator, but as the husband who walked at her side. 

She stepped from the water, dripping, grinning, and slipped on the gauze dress she'd deposited on the sand like a second skin. It fluttered in the wind as she walked over to him, placed a delicate kiss on his head, and walked off. He wasn't concerned. His mind was linked to hers permanently; she was just going in to get the baby.

He closed his eyes and let the sunshine flow through his body, not bothering to open them as Padmé approached, soft footsteps on grass and the soft whimpering of an infant. His son, he thought proudly. 

"Let's go see daddy," Padmé murmured to the child.

Anakin smiled and sat up. He opened his eyes, but the smile vanished from his face. She was holding one child in each arm, one with the wheat-coloured hair to match his own, Luke of course. The other one had dark hair and was wriggling unhappily in its mother's arms. 

"Here, Anakin, you take Luke for me while I try to calm down…"

He awoke suddenly to a darkened room. 

"No!" he called out to nobody in particular.

His voice came out a deep rumble. The voice of Darth Vader, not Anakin Skywalker. He sighed, and lay back down against the pillow.

What could it have meant? An unfulfilled wish for a complete family, perhaps? The longing for a child that was more like Padmé and less like himself? Long ago, Obi-Wan Kenobi had told him that dreams pass in time. They were unimportant, he reminded himself. But what if Padmé , at some level, actually had consciousness within her carbonite shell? He had to pay attention to those dreams. Then there was her delirious comment, so many years ago. _My little baby_. 

It had to mean something. Another secret he would keep from the Emperor.

Something must have awakened him, he realized suddenly. He had been asleep only a few hours. His mind reached out. It was not Luke, who was with the Emperor and the ever-nubile Mara Jade. Their minds were closed to him. What was it? 

He could sense it even now. A ship, small, coming towards the Death Star. A pilot, a Wookiee, both like open books, and a girl, more introspective and mystifying. They, however, had not been the reason he awoke.

It was a presence which he hadn't felt in years. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

***

Well, what's up next for Obi-Wan? I think good old Darth is gonna be pulling out that lightsaber pretty soon…


	19. The Task

Every time I come online to check and update this stupid story I get the message that ff.net is experiencing an overload!!! Arrrrrrgghhh! 

***

Luke examined himself in the shining desk, smoothing out the creases in his black tunic and pulling his dark leather gloves tight onto his fingers. He could see the strange dichotomy as he peered at himself, tall and dark from the neck down, but his face still juvenile, his eyes pale blue and innocent, his hair sandy. Was this how his father had once looked? Just a teenager, talented for certain, but not the type who instilled respect at just a glance. Fear, maybe, a better word. The Emperor did, even though his once welcoming visage now looked like half-melted paraffin sliding off a skull. Darth Vader did, though it didn't take a Jedi to figure out that he had lost favour with the Emperor. With his shining black helmet and fluttering cape, he certainly looked the part of a sith. Catlike, Luke told himself, dominating, strong. They feared Vader not because he was one of the leaders of the inner circle, but because of his powers.

Though he practiced constantly, Luke knew his own powers were no match against his father. 

Someday, Luke, the Emperor's voice sounded in his mind, someday soon.

Mara Jade slipped in the doors, one hand at her side, her flaming hair pulled away from her face. Her expression was cold, but warmed to a cherubic smile when she caught glimpse of Luke. True love, he wondered, or a servant doing the bidding of her Imperial master? He waited for the Emperor to dismiss his thoughts as fanciful, but his reassurance never came. She certainly was the perfect hand to the Emperor. Loyal, beautiful, talented, and able to shift moods to suit her task. What wasn't she capable of?

A flash of white light appeared and clarified into a blue-tinted hologram of the Emperor. 

"Mara Jade, my hand, Luke, my apprentice," his rasping voice began, "My trusted ones. I have urgent matters for both of you to attend to. Luke, I have sensed a ship approaching the Death Star."

Luke's eyelids fluttered closed involuntarily as he concentrated. 

"The Millennium Falcon," he muttered, "I sense it, my Lord, though only vaguely."

"There are three on board. One is a Wookiee, the other two, human. There is one human man, a smuggler of little talent, and a young girl."

"Do you want me to dispose of them? The male would likely make an excellent Stormtrooper."

The Emperor sat pensively beneath the folds of black fabric that hid his gaunt body, "Do what you wish with the Wookiee and the man. It's the girl I'm concerned with. Do not let her appearance fool you. I believe she has been trained by one of the Jedi; her mind is closed to me."

"But... but my father killed all the Jedi!" Luke squawked, shocked by the idea that there was still one roaming free.

"Control yourself, Luke," Mara growled.

He felt his face flush, and his mouth snapped shut. 

"It seems Vader was unable to complete even that task which I set out for him," the Emperor replied coldly, "Do not let thoughts of him hold you back. His ineptitude can never compare to the loyalty you have shown me. Indeed, Luke, you and Mara... you are the closest thing I have to a family. Find this girl. She is strong, be prepared; if you can, bring her to our side. If she resists, you must destroy her." 

Luke bit his lip, "Don't you think it would be better if my father fought the girl? I mean, he destroyed the Jedi temple on Coruscant, he hunted down Obi-Wan Kenobi... 

"You are the apprentice I trust, Luke," the Emperor cajoled, "Can I trust you to carry this out for me, my son?" 

For a moment Luke's eyes flickered toward Mara Jade. Her eyes told him the answer.

"Of course, my Lord," Luke replied, his eyes toward the floor. 

The Emperor nodded beneath the folds of cape. "You may leave. I wish to talk to Mara in private."

Luke moved toward the door. A pang of jealousy shot through him as an easy expression appeared on Mara's face. Around him she was constantly guarded, every movement carefully thought out and tempered. Her relationship with the Emperor was more like father and daughter. Maybe more, he thought angrily. He would never be as close to either of them as they were to each other. Luke Skywalker...Vader. Was he just a pawn being used? Or perhaps he simply hadn't proven his loyalty, his worth.

Well, this time would be different. As the doors shut, he hurried to the room he meditated in. There he would pinpoint the girl, pinpoint her weaknesses and strengths.

The Emperor looked up, watching Luke as he hurried out, sensing the pangs of jealousy. Love, jealousy, anger, hate. It seemed to be the destiny of all the Skywalkers. Luke, in love with Mara Jade, would be even easier to control than Vader had been. Then again, Vader still had the remains of Padme to distract him from the Dark Side, from the power that he should have embraced fully. No, Vader spent far too much time hiding his thoughts to be trusted any longer. Luke would make a far more obedient apprentice. There was, however, a rule. There were never more than two Sith. One to be master, one to act as the apprentice. Darth Vader was already the apprentice. There could not be two, father and son.

"Mara Jade," the Emperor began after the doors had shut, "I have a very special task for you."

***

Sorry if this is terribly formatted, I had to write it on Notepad, and my raw HTML isn't that amazing. Thanks for bearing with me, spelling mistakes and all!


	20. Stormtroopers

Wow, I got on the favourites list of 5 people! To some that may seem like a pithy number, but I'm pleased! Thank you to all of the ones who put me there, and I'm off to read and review all their stories. ;-)

***

"They're using the tractor beam!" Han exclaimed, "Chewie, get back to the hyper drive, see…"

"Allow them to tractor us in," Leia interrupted him softly, "Or would you rather deal with Imperial TIE fighters?"

"Hey, Princess, these aren't sandpeople we're dealing with. These are Imperial stormtroopers!"

"I know, Han," she replied softly, "You don't have to worry. They're after me. I'll make sure they let you go."

He looked over at her and shook his head, "I hope you're right, Leia, but you won't mind if I go for plan B."

She looked puzzled, but followed him and Chewie into the back of the ship.

Stormtroopers plodded up the ramp to the Millennium Falcon, six of them, each carrying blasters against their smooth white armour. Their boots thudded against the floor tiles as they searched in vain for the three rebels that they had been sent to find.

Leia, crouched in a tiny compartment beneath one of the tiles, was pressed up against Han to one side and Chewbacca to the other. Her eyes widened.

"Han, why…"

"Shh!" he admonished, "Quiet, kid."

"Han," she whispered softly, "Why didn't you tell me this was here?"

"You don't go telling everyone how you smuggle your pickings. Tends to be something you want to hide," he hissed, "Now keep quiet, this wasn't made to be soundproof."

She grinned at him, surprised at her own grudging admiration. Admiration of a thief, she thought. No, more than admiration…

"Hey, Princess," he hissed, "You okay?"

"What?"

"I asked you what you intend to do now? There's only so long you can hide in the floor of a freighter before someone figures out the floor tiles move. Or they could just blast the ship…"

She bit her lip, trying again to concentrate.

Her thoughts centred only on the roguish pilot pressed next to her, his ragged breathing, his mind racing, a thousand thoughts in a matter of seconds. Thoughts of Jabba the Hutt, of Chewbacca, of his ship. Of her. She felt her cheeks warming.

__

Clear your mind. Yoda's voice clearly in her mind as if it were he pressed against her arm rather than the large Wookiee. 

The minds of the Stormtroopers were unlike anything she had encountered before. They were brainwashed, she knew, by the Sith master, Darth Vader. Anger swelled in her as she thought of him, of his attempt to destroy her mother and father, of his destruction of Naboo and Alderaan. 

__

Anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

All well and good, in practice, she thought, but in reality, suppressing your rage wasn't so easy. She swallowed and willed herself into more placid thought, imagining herself back at home in her cavernous bedroom, surrounded by musty books and silence. 

The stormtroopers were extraneous noise. She ignored them. The Sith master had sent someone to find her, she could feel it. _It must be Vader_, she thought. The one she had come here to destroy. 

She focused. Where was he? 

A shrine of some sort, not far. It would be simple to hunt him down. Her hand went instinctively to the lightsaber hanging at her belt. Vader had to pay for what he'd done.

"I'm leaving now, Han," she declared. "Thank you for everything. I mean that."

"Wait, Leia, the stormtroopers are still searching the ship, they'll blast you on sight!"

She flipped open the floor tile, ignoring him. He grasped for her arm, trying to pull her back, but she was too fast for him and pushed him back. Chewie let out a mournful yowl as Han scrambled out.

All six stormtroopers aimed their blasters at the two lone humans in the hallway.

  
"You have to let us through," Leia cajoled, "I have urgent business with Darth Vader."

"We have to let her through," the first one repeated, "She has urgent business with Darth Vader. Come on, let's stop wasting our time here."

They marched off the Millennium Falcon in sync, their blasters now lowered.

"How…?" Han began incredulously.

"Many things are possible when you are one with the Force," she replied nervously, licking her lips, "Han, they're not going to forget about the ship forever. You have to leave."

He shook his head, "No, you're coming with me. I may be a lot of things, but I don't abandon a woman to…"

She reached up around his neck and pulled him down to her, their lips pressing hard to one another. He looked surprised, but didn't pull back. For a moment, her eyes closed, and she forgot about Vader and the Death Star and her father.

The sound of marching feet brought her back to reality and she pulled away. Han still stood with his eyes half-shut, a dazed expression gracing his worn face.

She backed up, spun around and raced down the ramp.

"Leia, wait!" he called out as he regained his senses, running after her to the door.

From the floor of the bay, Leia concentrated. The ramp to the Millennium Falcon slammed in Han Solo's face. She remembered the words of Master Yoda.

__

Size matters not. 

She concentrated hard. The entire ship levitated, uneasily at first, wobbling, then more confidently. It sailed towards the mouth of the hangar, and out into space. None of the stormtroopers seemed to notice.

"Good-bye, Han," Leia murmured to herself.

Time now to find Vader.

From the cover of the cargo boxes, Luke watched the girl storm out. She was petite, naïve looking. Deceptively so. Anyone who could easily levitate a Corellian freighter had to be talented. 

He had originally planned to cut down the girl and the two on the ship quickly, easily. Now he doubted that the girl would be so easy to capture. It would pay to watch her, if just for a while longer…

***

Was this chapter okay for ya? I liked it. I can sense an ending approaching quickly…


	21. Failure

Oooh, sorry this took so long to update. I was busy re-reading my favourite fanfic of all time (if you're a Voyager fan it's called Secrets and it's written by Lady Rheena).   
  
  
***  
  
Obi-Wan Kenobi shook his head, chiding himself mentally. He had used the Force for personal gain once again. It was becoming almost habitual, worryingly so, though he had to admit that couldn't feel the Dark Side looming over him.   
  
The Hutt, he knew, had made his money in the Twi'lek slave business, illegal, but highly profitable. With it, he had collected every imaginable ship on the market, including the TIE fighter that Obi-Wan now piloted. The two men that had been guarding the ships had been easily manipulated; by the time he was finished with them, they had all but given the TIE fighter away. It served them right, considering how they had made their money.  
  
He let a rare smile float to his lips. Just like Qui-Gon would have said.  
  
But Qui-Gon Jinn had also said that Anakin Skywalker would fulfill the prophecy. He flinched. _We were responsible. Qui-Gon Jinn and I unleashed the greatest destruction that galaxy has ever known..._  
  
Then he thought of Leia. If Anakin hadn't become Vader, what would have happened? Certainly he would have lived out his life as a Jedi, without emotion or love. It hadn't seemed like such a terrible fate when he was young, but now...  
  
Guiltily he realized that he was in a way grateful to Anakin. Vader, he corrected himself. Life as a husband, father, had not been the shallow existence he had once assumed it must be. He now understood why Anakin had left the Order for Padmé. For his own children, he would have made the same choice.  
  
The Death Star approached. To one who wasn't Force-sensitive, it could easily have been mistaken for a moon or a planet. In his TIE fighter he would go relatively unnoticed as he approached the station. With just a nudge of mental manipulation, the Stormtroopers would ignore him. The key was to keep Vader and the Emperor from sensing his presence. The Emperor wouldn't be difficult, but Anakin had been his padawan for more than a decade. He suddenly remembered a conversation, long ago, with an almost-grown Anakin.  
  
_Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?  
  
Don't say that, Master. You're the closest thing I have to a father I have._  
  
Foreshadowing, perhaps? Obi-Wan couldn't see his destiny. The future was blurred.  
  
What really mattered was to find Leia, he thought with determination.  
  
"Unidentified TIE fighter, please give your access number and..." the communicator crackled into life.  
  
Obi-Wan jumped in surprise, the noise sharply extricating him from his thoughts.  
  
"You don't need an access number, you need to let me in," he interrupted, focusing on the stormtrooper.  
  
"Go right in," the communicator crackled back dully.  
  
A hatch on the side of the station slowly began to open, and Obi-Wan flew his ship freely into the bay. There was no sign of the Millennium Falcon or his teenage daughter. Yet, he knew she was here. In his mind's eye he could see her clearly, stalking through the corridors with single-minded determination. Her mind was closed to him, and all he felt from her was anger and hatred. He concentrated, trying to feel the Force through his body.   
  
She was trying to destroy Vader.  
  
Obi-Wan leapt from the pilot's seat and scrambled out, almost panickign as he hurried past unseeing stormtroopers and workers. He had trained Leia well, but she was no Vader. He had years of experience behind him, the technology of the Death Star, and worst, the power of the Dark Side.   
  
Already he had lost one padawan to the Dark Side. Anakin's conversion had been almost too much to bear. He couldn't begin to imagine what he would do if Leia was to be lured to the Empire's side. She could destroy everything. Qui, Owen and Dormé would be in danger as well. Once again he felt a pang of guilt. _I failed her. I failed all of them. Why didn't I go with her? Why did I entrust her to that idiot of a pilot? Why was I such a fool?_  
  
He began to run through the station after his daughter, praying, hoping that he could catch her in time.  
  
***  
  
I'd thank the people who have reviewed lately, but apparently I'm not allowed to look at my reviews. Site experiencing overload..please come back in a few minutes. Hah! More like hours!!! So, thank you all the AMAZING people who have reviewed, and as soon as I can look at your names again I'll R&R your stories! That's a promise!  



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